South to Big Sur

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, CA

Canon EOS Rebel T5i,  EF 17-40mm f/4L USM, 1/80s, f/9, ISO: 100

Where Big Sur begins and ends is a bit fuzzy, especially the Northern boundary.  I've seen it defined vaguely as "South of Carmel."  I've seen it defined somewhat arbitrarily but specifically as the mouth of the Carmel River.  If you go by the signs along the road, places don't start labeling themselves as "Big Sur This" or "Big Sur That" until you're probably twenty miles South of Carmel.

Personally, I like to think of Point Lobos as the boundary.  I would say that Point Lobos is the union of Big Sur and the Monterey stretch of coastline.  It's easy to imagine that Point Lobos is where the mountains start to fall into the sea, yet the cypress groves tie it to what lies North, not South.  It's a little bit of both, which is part of what makes it unique.